


Koi No Yokan

by memoriesofrain



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eye Color, F/F, F/M, Gen, Heterochromia, M/M, Soulmates, Soulmates have each other's eye color, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, dark!Will, this might be long???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:05:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4454090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memoriesofrain/pseuds/memoriesofrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a very early age, Will Graham knew and understood the idea of soulmates. The heterochromatic eyes that stared back at him when he looked in the mirror or from a large population of children and young adults were a sign that they hadn’t met their soulmate.</p><p>He just never expected his own soulmate to be so... unique.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Learning

**Author's Note:**

> Koi No Yokan (Japanese): The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall into love. 
> 
> This is different than “love at first sight,” since it implies that you might have a sense of imminent love, somewhere down the road, without yet feeling it. The term captures the intimation of inevitable love in the future, rather than the instant attraction implied by love at first sight.

                From a very early age, Will Graham knew and understood the idea of soulmates. The heterochromatic eyes that stared back at him when he looked in the mirror or from a large population of children and young adults were a sign that they hadn’t met their soulmate. His own father still had his soulmate’s eye; the warm, dark green color settled deeply into his left eye- the eye that could lead straight to a person’s heart.

                Will’s soulmate was interesting. He had never seen a color that truly resembled it, the iris a cold maroon in the right light. And just like his empathy worked when he looked in other peoples’ eyes, he was deeply aware of his soulmate. At the time, they were lonely, angry, and longing for something. Will liked to stare at the eye in reflective surfaces and pretend that his soulmate was longing to meet him, though the likelihood was slim.

* * *

 

                As Will grew, his understanding broadened. He came to realize that the people who had one milky colored eye weren’t like him in that their soulmate had a unique eye color, but that their soulmate had died before they could meet. He’d realized that while his father’s one green eye slowly drained of color. It was a very real fear for everyone, and it did cause his father to become silent.

                Will often feared that the color would fade out his father’s other eye as the eye became duller and more vacant. He was reassured that his father was fine, but Will knew. He knew that his father was mourning the loss of his soulmate, that he loved Will dearly, but resented him slightly for preventing him from searching. It didn’t weigh to heavily on Will’s mind, his existence was a direct correlation with his father, in a sense, disregarding his soulmate.

                He was still young though, and his empathy wasn’t as developed as it would become in the future, but he could sometimes get glimpses of his soulmate’s life. His soulmate, dressed impeccably even in his own house, would sit at a desk surrounding himself with anatomy textbooks – a doctor or training to be one – drawing detailed pictures of towering cities and elegant cathedrals. Rarely, his soulmate would draw an androgynous body with blurred features except for the eyes – one maroon and then Will’s own, blue eyes flecked with greens and grays.

                His father thought it was amusing that Will could imagine and pretend that was how his soulmate lived, but he didn’t stop Will from doing it or telling him about him. Will figured that it was his father’s way of trying to connect with his dead soulmate. If he could get inspiration from Will’s overactive imagination, maybe he could at least be happy in his dreams.

                One day, when Will had reached the tender age of fourteen, he turned to gaze at his soulmate’s eye and recoiled in terror. His soulmate was furious, cold fury staring at an imaginary target.

                Suddenly, he was there. He stared at a man, shirt sloppy and face unkempt – Will noticed that the stranger had found his soulmate because two terrified blue eyes stared back at Will’s soulmate. He has disgraced the world with his presence though. He has done something wrong that needs correcting. He is a pig guised in a poor attempt at a human shield and he should be flayed like one.

                The rest of the vision is branded with blood and strategic artistry, a masterpiece of carnage, murder in its purest form. It is the peace and happiness shining through his soulmate’s eye that wakes him from his trance. Will gasps and feels tears drip down his hot cheeks. He’s not too old that he doesn’t want to run to his father, but he instead wraps his arms around himself.

                His soulmate is a murderer. He feels joy when he sinks a knife through flesh. He feels he is doing a service to the world, ridding the world of the rude. Will knows he should feel disgusted, that his soulmate is a killer. But he isn’t. He’s gone too long fearing that his faults will result in his soulmate’s rejection, but if he can accept his soulmate’s flaws, his own faults should be easy to accept.

                It is then he decides to brush aside the fact that his soulmate is a murderer. He doesn’t agree with what his soulmate is doing, but he can learn to accept it as a trait, a hobby (even though he hopes that it won’t become one).

                So later, when his father comes home and asks the inevitable question about what he learned about his soulmate that day, he’ll calmly tell him that their eyes light up when they’re happy.

* * *

 

                By the time Will started lecturing at the FBI Academy, after losing his job as a homicide detective (which he got a good chuckle over when he thought of his soulmate’s hobby), he’d grown accustomed to the bouts of rage followed by murder. The happy look he’d see in his soulmate’s eye was just too magical to give up. Some of the murders he even thought were beautiful, the way the victim received a fitting end.

                While his dreams were often plague with nightmares of things that he simply saw too much of, he had a companion that would guide him out of his terrors and guide him through the woods. A feathered-stag, proud and strong, would nose at his back and walk with him. He figured it was a representation of his soulmate; his soulmate’s pride was unrivaled by any and he disguised himself as prey. A lion in sheep’s clothing. The stag sometimes brought him to scenes of murders his soulmate had committed, but it was usually just walking.

                He enjoyed teaching, it was less stressful than his old job and he wasn’t at risk of catching his soulmate. Though it did complicate actually meeting his soulmate, he’d wait. Will should’ve realized that he couldn’t stay away from his old job.

                When Jack Crawford asked to “borrow his imagination,” Will couldn’t refuse, not if he could save lives. Just because his soulmate took lives didn’t mean he couldn’t save them. It was fitting; one that took lives and one that saved them. Opposites certainly did attract.

                The trip to Elise Nichols’ house was enlightening. It reminded him vaguely of his soulmate’s murders, removing parts to feast on. But there was no real reason for their deaths except that they all resembled each other. It was during this revelation that a new person came to join him and Jack.

                The man was well dressed, a three-piece suit perfectly tailored to his figure. The broad shoulders leading to a tapered and trim waist only added to his appeal. His hair was an ashen blonde, perfectly swooped out of his face. Jack welcomed him like an old friend; the other man’s name was foreign, but had a nice ring to it: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Despite all this, Will refused to meet Dr. Lecter’s eyes.

                Will had made a habit of avoiding eye contact at every possible moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to meet his soulmate, he just feared he’d see too much of another and might forget who he was or who his soulmate was. He’d started taking on the personality of his old partner and only when someone mentioned that they were just alike did he realize what was happening. He refused to have that happen. If anyone wanted to make eye contact with him, they’d have to work for it.

                He tunes back into the conversation to hear about Freddie Lounds’ atrocious website. He can’t help the comment that slips from his lips, but it garners Dr. Lecter’s attention.

                “Do you have trouble with taste?” Dr. Lecter asked, a hint of mirth caressing his words. Two can play at that game.

                “My thoughts are often not tasty,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. This is not his first verbal tennis match and he knows how to keep his wit.

                “Nor mine. No effective barriers,” Dr. Lecter retorts. His pride won’t let him stop until he’s won, just like his own.

                “I build forts.”

                It’s short and to the point, but it’s the truth. Dr. Lecter won’t let the conversation die though, not after such a short amount of time.

                “Not fond of eye contact, are you?”

                It isn’t accusatory or disgruntled, merely curious about Will’s ever wondering gaze. It is the first time though, that he is asked about his lack of eye contact in such an innocent manner.

                “Eyes are distracting; you see too much, you don’t see enough. And – and it’s hard to focus when you’re thinking, um, ‘oh, those whites are really white,’ or, ‘he found his soulmate, or, ‘their soulmate died before they could meet.’ So, yeah, I try to avoid eyes whenever possible. Jack?”

                His confession is a bit lengthy and perhaps a tad bit too revealing, but he had felt compelled to tell this man. He barely gets to hear Jack’s reply before Dr. Lecter is sliding back into the conversation.

                “I imagine what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at your associations, appalled at your dreams. No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love.”

                Will can’t stop himself from flinching at the words. It was a deep inset fear of his, that he would become so broken that he wouldn’t be able to show his soulmate any love. The dogs helped him keep in-touch with his gentler side, the side that didn’t consist of sharp words and cynical humor. “Whose profile are you working on?” Will asked before turning to Jack. “Whose profile is he working on?”

                Dr. Lecter seemed to get the picture that he was cornering a wild dog and thankfully backed off. “I’m sorry, Will. Observing is what we do. I can’t shut mine off any more than you can shut yours off,” Dr. Lecter said trying to placate him.

                “Please, don’t psychoanalyze me. You won’t like me when I’m psychoanalyzed.”

                Dr. Lecter didn’t say anything and Will barely made out Jack trying to get his attention before he decided it was best he leave the room before he did something he would regret. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go give a lecture on psychoanalyzing.”

                He quickly gathered up his things and stormed out of the room. No eye contact was made, just like he had planned. Maybe one day, when he met his soulmate, he could finally start looking people in the eye, but not today.


	2. Breakfast Discussions

                When he sees the girl impaled onto the stag’s antlers, striped down to her natural state, with her lungs removed, Will knows this isn’t the Minnesota Shrike. He knows exactly who it is because the same image was shown to him last night. His soulmate sure does love his masks and costumes, and Will has enough tact to not smile at the thought.

                Will reports like a good agent that it isn’t their cannibal isn’t the same one as the one who committed this crime.

                “He wanted her found this way. It’s… it’s petulant. I almost feel like he’s mocking her. Or he’s mocking us.” And isn’t that just perfect? His soulmate’s mocking is probably the worst thing he’s ever come across, but he finds it oddly endearing. As if his soulmate is upset that the police have turned their attention to another cannibal, and he can’t stand it.

                “Our cannibal loves women. He doesn’t want to destroy them. He wants to consume them, to keep some part of them inside. This girl’s killer thought that she was a pig.” After seeing the girl through their shared eye, Will can’t help but agree at least a bit.

                He feels a little thrilled when he calls the scene “field kabuki,” imagining the face his soulmate would make if he heard it. Will’s noticed his humor has turned darker the longer he’s looked at the murders his soulmate commits.

                When Jack asks about their copycat, Will allows himself to praise his soulmate a bit. “You know, an intelligent psychopath, particularly a sadist, is very hard to catch. There’s no traceable motive, there’ll be no patterns. He may never kill this way again,” he lies a bit there. There is a good chance that his soulmate might do it again, just to aggravate the FBI. “Have Dr. Lecter draw up a psychological profile. You seemed very impressed with his opinion.”

                And if he’s still petulant about getting a psychiatrist, he isn’t to blame.

* * *

                As much as Will wished he could ignore Jack’s orders, he knew he couldn’t. He’d be seeing a psychiatrist; a pretentious and handsome psychiatrist. Wonderful.

                Until then, Will could delude himself that his psyche didn’t require evaluation to comfort dear ol’ Jack. That he didn’t fall deeper into infatuation with his soulmate when he saw the great feats of strength and cunning displayed in his murders. If anyone knew that Will was hiding information on a murderer, the Chesapeake Ripper no less, he could easily be thrown into jail (Jack might even consider murdering Will with his own hands). While not the worst thing that Will could imagine happening to him, he’d rather no one find out about his soulmate’s extra-curricular activities.

                His quiet contemplation was disrupted by a knock on his motel room door. Who could be at his door so early in the morning? It certainly wasn’t Jack. Groaning as he stood, he stumbled to the door and pulled it open.

                His eyes were met with a paisley tie and Will suddenly knew exactly who it was. Of course, his dreaded psychiatrist would come to him, probably snooping around to find out where he was staying.

                “Good morning, Will,” Dr. Lecter said calmly, as if it was perfectly normal to come to a stranger’s house at the crack of dawn. “May I come in?”

                Will was tempted to deny the man access out of spite, but thought it better if he just went along with the man. Gesturing for the man to come inside, Will walked back into the pleasant darkness of his motel room. He felt the man’s gaze against his back and took a cursory glance down at his clothes, or lack thereof now that he looked. But Will wasn’t about to get changed on behalf of his unexpected guest.

                “I brought you breakfast,” Dr. Lecter confessed, placing two containers onto the small table located near the cloudy window. “Just a simple protein scramble.”

                Will scoffed softly as he sat himself down in the seat opposite of his doctor. “You make breakfast for all your patients?”

                Will let his eyes wonder up to settle on the man’s mouth and watched with fascination as the corners quirked up in amusement. “We are not officially having sessions.”

                “What would you call them?”

                “Conversations between two intellectuals; God forbid we be friendly towards one another.”

                “Well, it’s delicious, thank you.”

                Will vaguely wondered how the man’s soulmate felt about him. He was oddly reminiscent of his own soulmate now that he thought about it. It was almost enough of a temptation to get him to look into Dr. Lecter’s eyes, but decided against it when the man started to talk.

                “You detest eye contact so much that you would go out of your way to not make it with me,” Dr. Lecter observed, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. “Tell me, Will, do you wish to not meet your soulmate? It is to my understanding something that most people strive to find.”

                Will’s smile resembled more of a dog baring its teeth than good humor. “My… talents allow me to have a much more focused picture of my soulmate. I know what they do, their hobbies, how they dress. I know what I’m looking for.”

                “But you aren’t,” Hannibal interjects, and Will has half a mind to tell the man he’s been rude until he continues. “You let yourself see your soulmate through reflections of themselves, but are not willing to actually look at them.”

                “Are you suggesting that I don’t want my soulmate?”

                “I’m merely stating that your lack of interest in eye contact seems to say a lot about you. Jack seems to think you’re a fragile little teacup, on the edge of plummeting to the floor and shattering.”

                At this, Will snorts inelegantly. “Really?” Half of Will wants to return to their talk about soulmates, but he lets Dr. Lecter direct the conversation for now. “And what do you see me as, Dr. Lecter?”

                The man actually smiles at Will when he asks that. “The mongoose I want under my house when the snakes slither by,” he states, with no small amount of mirth. “Or perhaps I see a companion, someone who can see me.”

                They eat the rest of their meal in silence, neither speaking another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm so behind on updating! College is brutal and I finally found some time to sit down and write another chapter.
> 
> IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHEN THEY SHOULD FINALLY MAKE EYE CONTACT PLEASE TELL ME.


	3. Yuanfen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal get a lead on the case.

                Finding out his psychiatrist is going to tag along with him for the day like one of his strays is disconcerting. Perhaps it was because the last time either of them had spoken was when Hannibal had made the offhanded comment about Will being a desirable “companion.” It was disorienting to have someone say that to him; he had imagined multiple scenarios about his soulmate saying similar words to him, clothed in blood and righteousness, but never someone else. He glanced over at Hannibal and narrowed his eyes when he saw the man’s small grin.

                “What are you smiling at?” Will asked, turning his eyes back to the road.

                “Peeking behind the curtain,” Hannibal mused. “I’m just curious how the FBI goes about its business when it’s not kicking in doors.”

                “Afraid your doors will get kicked in?”

                “Why would I be? I have nothing to hide, Will.”

                Will doubted that what Hannibal was saying was true, but decided to continue the conversation. “We found a little piece of metal in Elise Nichols’ clothes, a shred from a pipe threader.”

                Hannibal made a light scoffing noise at the statement. “There must be hundreds of construction sites all over Minnesota.”

                “A certain kind of metal, certain kind of pipe, certain kind of pipe coating, so we’re checking all the construction sites that use that kind of pipe,” Will replied. “The FBI isn’t as mediocre as you might think it is, coming from your statement before.”

                “It is merely an observation, Will,” Hannibal said. “What are we looking for?”

                “Anything really. But mostly, anything peculiar.”

* * *

 

                When the two finally made it inside the building and started going through paperwork, Will felt his nerves already fraying. He listened as the woman at the desk prattled on-and-on about how they were disturbing her peace or some nonsense. It was getting to the point that Will wondered if he could somehow let his soulmate know that he had found his next victim for him, but Will held himself back. One of them had to have some morals, even if they were mostly questionable ones.

                 “Garrett Jacob Hobbs?” Will asked, pulling out the man’s paperwork. It all seemed normal to the average person, but Will picked up on the missing information immediately.

                “He’s one of our pipe threaders,” the woman at the desk said. “Those are all the resignation letters. Plumbers’ Union requires ‘em whenever members finish a job.”

                Will didn’t catch the last thing she whispered in the phone, but when back to the matter at hand. “Does Mr. Hobbs have a daughter?”

                “Might have,” the woman shrugged, making herself busy with the random sheets of paper on her desk.

                “Eighteen or 19, wind-chafed, uh, plain but pretty. She’d have auburn hair, about this tall,” Will recited, making sure to mention all the qualities the victims had shared.

                The woman huffed at him and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe, I don’t know, I don’t keep company with these people.”

                Will resisted the urge to bare his teeth at the woman, he really had grown intolerant with rudeness. When he felt a hand brush his arm, he flinched back in surprise. He’d completely forgotten his psychiatrist was here with him.

                “What is it about Garrett Jacob Hobbs you find so peculiar?” Hannibal asked. If Will didn’t know any better, he’d think Hannibal was disgruntled that this man had caught Will’s attention.

                “He left a phone number, no address.”

                Hannibal raised an eyebrow at that. “And therefore he has something to hide?”

                “The others all left addresses,” He responded simply before turning his attention back to the woman, “do you have an address for Mr. Hobbs?”

                Luckily, the woman seemed to think that the sooner she helped them, the sooner they’d leave and promptly got the address for them. Will was even thankful that she helped them load the boxes of files into his car. It was as Hannibal was handing down a box to her that papers tumbled out of the box and unto the ground. His face held little remorse as he offered an apology and Will rolled his eyes at the man.

                “I got it, go back and get the last box,” Will said as he started picking up the papers. He vaguely wondered why it was taking Hannibal so long to get the last box when the man came out and calmly loaded the box into the car.

                “Do forgive me, I wanted to make sure we didn’t forget anything before we left,” Hannibal explained, brushing imaginary dirt off his pants.

                Will nodded his head and started up the car; he had a suspect to investigate.

* * *

 

                Of course when they arrive at the Hobbs residence, everything goes to hell. It begins with the shouts of a woman, and Will watches as Garrett Jacob Hobbs shoves his wife onto the front porch. He doesn’t waste any time before running to her aid. He takes a moment to take in the slit across her jugular, taking only a moment to admire the clean cut Hobbs made, before using his hand to try and staunch the bleeding.

                He listens to the woman gasp for breath with a sort of clinical detachment. He’s seen his soulmate do the same thing, only to prolong his victim’s agony. But he isn’t like _that_ , he understands he is at least supposed to try and save the woman. By the way she claws at his arm, she knows that she is going to die, no matter what he does. He calmly grasps her wrists in his hands and removes her grip from his arms. He doesn’t risk looking in her eyes to feel her death; he knows she regrets marrying someone who wasn’t her soulmate, knows that she wonders if there is any hope for her daughter now.

                It’s with that thought that Will leaves the woman and heads inside, telling himself she is already as good as dead. He can at least save the daughter. He breaks the door down, his gun held at the ready.

                “Garrett Jacob Hobbs?” He shouts, making his way further into the house. “FBI!”

                He enters the kitchen, hearing the pitiful whimpers of Hobbs’ daughter, his golden ticket. She tries to shake her father off without getting cut. Will doesn’t know why he’s trembling, why his hands shake as he points the gun at Hobbs. Before he can fire the first shot, Hobbs directs his arm in a desperate arch. The display steadies his hand and he fires bullet after bullet at the other man until his clip is empty. He relishes in the blood spray that hits his face, it’s his turn to put on the show for his soulmate (if he can actually see any of what Will does).

                Abandoning his gun he reaches out to the girl who is struggling on the floor. She gasps and struggles just like her mother did, but there isn’t regret coming from her. She has a strong will to live, she needs to live for someone. She’s found her soulmate already.

                He spares a glance at Hobbs who is whispering a single word to him on his dying breath. Will feels slightly disappointed when the man only asks him if he sees. Perhaps he expects too much from serial killers that aren’t his soulmate.

                And suddenly, Hannibal is there, removing his hands from their place on her neck. Obviously the man knows what he’s doing, and Will watches as the man controls the bleeding. It’s then that Hannibal looks up.

                The world seems quiet and yet all too loud at the same time. He watches with bewildered fascination as the blue from Hannibal’s left eye drains away leaving behind a color Will is all too familiar with. It’s an instant connection, and he enjoys the look of muted surprise on Hannibal’s face. It’s ironic, that their first meeting as soulmates is christened in blood; that Hobbs is Will’s offering to Hannibal to show him that he understands the path he has taken and will continue down.

                The words slip out before he can stop himself, but he doesn’t regret it when Hannibal’s eyes flash with something dark and reverent.

                “I know,” he whispers softly, “it’s beautiful…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that lived up to people's expectations! The real good stuff will come in the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you all for being patient with me, college is quite stressful, but I will try to make some time soon to write another chapter!
> 
> Yuanfen (Chinese): A relationship by fate or destiny. This is a complex concept. It draws on principles of predetermination in Chinese culture, which dictate relationships, encounters and affinities, mostly among lovers and friends.
> 
> From what I glean, in common usage yuanfen means the "binding force" that links two people together in any relationship.


	4. Kintsugi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will discuss their relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys asked for it so here is Hannibal's POV

                They don’t get to talk until Abigail Hobbs is in her hospital room, cords and tubes attached to her frail body. Hannibal thinks she’s like a wounded wolf, wrapped up tightly in her sheep’s wool. Though they haven’t spoken yet, he does indulge himself in languishing in the thought of his soulmate. The way he looked, splattered in blood, eyes steady, the harsh bite of his words lapsed into the gentle tones of those four words he whispered.

                Has Will known what he was all this time or did Will just know that his soulmate had rather questionable hobbies? He also wondered if Will had always seen his work as _beautiful,_ and was that not what Hannibal had always wanted. Someone to see him and understand him?It would be interesting to hear what his cunning boy had to say on the subject.

* * *

 

                It was late in the evening the night after the Minnesota Shrike case had ended, that Hannibal heard a knock on his door. He put down the knife he was using to chop the tomatoes with. While he understood that it could be anyone, he hoped it would be Will. Walking calmly to the door, he took a second to gather his wits. His normally put together mind-frame was a bit scatter and while he was disgruntled by the sudden disorder, he found it to be an interesting change. When he opened the door, he felt his lips stretch into a soft small.

                “It’s good to see you, Hannibal,” Will said quietly. The man’s whole demeanor was quiet, he did not wish to stand out in a crowd. But there were things that would make people stare if they bothered to look hard enough. A strong jaw, as if carved by Michelangelo himself, covered in a dusting of a beard. Lips, a delicate rose color that pulled away to reveal teeth that the man wasn’t afraid to use. And of course, his eyes. The eyes of raging storms and calm seas, an intricate juxtaposition that combined to form the perfect complement to Will himself.

                “Hello, dear Will,” Hannibal said, gesturing with his arm to enter the house, “do come in.”

                Will walked calmly into his house and Hannibal was slightly amazed with how calmly Will allowed himself to walk into the lion’s den so to say. He led Will into his dining room and pulled out the chair for the man who accepted it with a raised eyebrow.

                “Would you like something to eat?” Hannibal asked.

                Will barked out a laugh and gave him an amused look. “Don’t you mean someone?” he asked, mirth licking at his words.

                Hannibal smiled at his soulmate and a pleased feeling quelled the beast in him. “If you are sure it isn’t in bad manners to serve you someone on the first date.”

                “Far be it for me to tell you what to do,” Will said, relaxing in his chair. “You are the expert in the rude.”

                Hannibal nodded his head and excused himself from the room to finish preparing dinner. It was exciting to be able to present his work and a meal in front of his soulmate willingly. He quickly finished cutting up the tomatoes and removed the meat from the oven that had been cooking for the past thirty minutes. He made sure he artistically plated the food for both of them before carrying the food back into the dining room where Will was still patiently waiting, looking at the decorations on the walls.

                “Pork tenderloin alla Napoli,” Hannibal said as he placed the food in front of Will, “the robust flavors of the olives, tomatoes, and rosemary complement the flavors of this particular meat.”

                Will flashed a smile at Hannibal. “I’m sure this one was particularly lackadaisical,” he offered, digging into his meal.

                They ate in pleasant silence, offering only small comments about the food and décor of the room. When the two were finished and the dishes were cleaned, it was time to talk. Guiding Will to the living room, he opted to sit in the armchair as opposed to the couch that Will sat himself in.

                “Where do we start?” Will asked, making himself comfortable on the couch.

                “Should not you decide where we begin this conversation, I admit you do seem to have the advantage here,” Hannibal said, leaning back in his chair.

                “Perhaps that is the case,” Will conceded, “then how about we start with the elephant in the room, how has no one figured you out yet? You don’t exactly hide very well.”

                “You forget, dear Will, that oftentimes hiding in plain sight is the best hiding spot.” Will gave a small smile at that. “What I wish to know in return is why you are not concerned about this.”

                Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the semblance of order that he had mostly likely struggled to tame. “I saw your first murder, or glimpses of it,” Will admitted, “I was scared at first, you were so angry and then so at peace. But I hoped that if I came to accept your faults, then you would accept mine. It isn’t that I approve of your more illicit activities, it’s just that I don’t care as long as I get to keep you.”

                Hannibal felt awe settle over him. This remarkable creature only cared that he got to keep him. But he had to be sure that he understood what Will was saying. “Would you like me chained to you? A cage masquerading as a loving embrace?”

                “How about a light across the water,” Will suggested, calmly staring into Hannibal’s eyes. “Something you have to return to, even if it takes you a while. I don’t condone cages, and I hate the idea of chaining you to me like some beast. I trust you to come back to me, and your secrets lie at the bottom of the sea.”

                Allowing himself to process what Will was saying, he stood up and walked over to the couch. “What a remarkable boy you are, Will,” he whispered, sitting himself beside Will on the couch. “Had it been anyone else, they would have run from me, turned me in, cast me aside and caged me. But you, you are not as such.”

                “We are all chipped tea cups, some even broken and we become each other’s kintsugi,” Will said lightly, seeming to not be bothered by the sudden change in proximity.

                “The idea that when something has suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful. Are we the golden lacquer for each other, Will?” Hannibal asked.

                “I have no problem with it, but you must know I come with seven dogs,” Will replied, turning to face him.

                Hannibal smiled at his soulmate and leaned in slightly. “I’ll have to designate rooms that they can go in, if that’s alright with you,” he said smoothly. It wasn’t as if Will was expecting him to deal with the dogs, just that they were part of the deal to get Will.

                “Then I suppose we’ll have to tell Jack that I need a new psychiatrist,” Will said, letting a grin light up his face.

                “Ol’ Jack will be quite cross,” Hannibal said.

                No more words were needed as the two leaned in slowly. Their mouths met in a chaste passing, before they let themselves reacquaint their mouths with their soulmates’. It was everything that Hannibal had ever wanted and he would do everything in his power to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys all liked the updated chapter. I hope to have another chapter out soon, but next week is SUPER busy for me (midterms and I work two jobs in addition to school), so please bear with me! 
> 
> *gives you all a plate of cookies and a glass of milk*


	5. Abigail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail Hobbs enters the stage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in updates, midterms were hellish. :\
> 
> Also, I apologize if this seems OOC or rushed, I hope it's okay.

                On the elevator ride up to Jack’s office, Hannibal watched as Will fidgeted beside him. He pondered for a moment if Will would fidget the same way in other situations, but let the thought dissolve away. “Does informing Jack bother you that much?” Hannibal asked.

                Will halted his fidgeting and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Not particularly, Jack is just prone to yelling,” Will said.

                “He is a rather loud man.”

                “You haven’t heard him yell at _you_.”

                “Perhaps he’ll yell at me this time?” Hannibal’s suggestion was rewarded with an amused grin. “I will have to be properly scolded for snatching up his best profiler.”

                The comment encouraged a laugh out of Will. “Is that what you’ve done? Have I been snatched up? Am I your next _victim_?”

                Hannibal was mildly impressed with Will’s audacity to imply his hobby while in the territory of his would be captors. “Never a victim, dear Will, though it does paint a very alluring picture. Tell me, do you enjoy the image of me snatching you up? Stealing you from those around you, because I can assure you they will not be getting you back.”

                Will’s small shudder made Hannibal’s grin come back. “Yes, you are very intimidating and attractive, now come on, we can’t avoid telling him for much longer.”

                Informing Jack that they were soulmates went as well as they believed it would go. He had looked at the two with narrowed eyes, searching for any hint of a lie.

                “Are you sure that you are soulmates?” Jack asked, “Because I know you want to get out of seeing a psychiatrist, Will.”

                Hannibal felt rage bubble up in his chest at the accusation, but managed to quell his anger for the moment. It wouldn’t do him any good to murder the man in front of him even if it was to defend the honor of his soulmate. It was an odd feeling, to suddenly be compelled to truly look out for another with good intentions in mind.

                Will made a noise beside him and decided to speak up. “I watched my eye color drain from his and pool with his own. I felt connected and whole for the first time without having to gaze into the depths of smoke and mirrors of my dreams. I know he’s my soulmate, Jack,” Will said, his voice tight.

                It was wonderful to be able to bask in the glory of Will, to listen to his other half defend their destined state. Hannibal had not felt this taken by someone since Mischa, and he knew the feeling would only grow as time passed and they got to know each other better.

                “I may add that I am transferring Will to a colleague of mine to take over his sessions,” Hannibal said, “Bedelia Du Maurier is an excellent psychiatrist and is well respected in the field. I’m sure I can coax her out of retirement to at least take on Will.” He did not add that she was his own psychiatrist as well, but he did not feel compelled to tell Jack this. He watched with no small amount of amusement as Jack heaved a heavy sigh.

“I suppose a congratulations is in order?” Jack asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I am happy for you both, but there are some things we need to discuss.”

Feeling pleased that Jack dropped his skepticism of their relationship, he settled in to listen to what Jack had to say.

“Abigail Hobbs woke up from her coma and her doctors thought it would be for the best that she was moved to Port Haven Psychiatric facility,” Jack said, shuffling the papers on his desk.

Will nodded his head absently. “Does she have any remaining family members to look after her?” Will asked.

“No, and even if she had any they won’t come forth to claim her. Her house has been sold and the money will go to the families of her father’s victims,” Jack replied.

Hannibal watched as Will fished for more information on Abigail. It would seem Will’s pure empathy has decided to connect him with her as a paternal figure. Hannibal lets the thought mull around his brain. If Will wishes to become her father, Hannibal will as well. He has not been any sort of familial figure since Mischa and he wonders if Abigail will act in similar patterns. If nothing else, it will be entertaining to watch it play out.

“Would it be possible for us to see her, Jack?” Hannibal asked, inserting himself into the conversation.

Jack stared at him before leaning back in his chair. “It won’t be for long and I can’t guarantee that she’ll want to see you,” he said, directing the last bit at Will.

“Perhaps she won’t, but I think she could use a familiar face even if that face isn’t one she wants to see again,” Will said.

* * *

 

Abigail looked better than Will thought she would. Her neck was wrapped in thick, white gauze and her eyes had dark circles underneath them, but other than that she looked fine. She stared at Hannibal and him with suspicion, but that seemed to dissipate as time went on.

“Abigail, you’re looking well,” Hannibal said, walking closer to her. Will envied the ease in which he was able to switch his skins, and tried to mimic his calmness.

“Who are you?” Abigail asked, clenching her hands in her sheets.

“I am Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and this is FBI Agent Will Graham,” Hannibal said.

“You’re the one who killed my dad,” She said, looking into Will’s eyes.

Usually Will would have felt wounded by hearing someone say that and avoid eye contact, but he made sure he kept it with her. “Yes,” Will said, “I was trying to save your life.”

Abigail looked like she wanted to say something else, but she just nodded her head. Not wanting to lose her attention just yet, Will pulled out the gift he had brought with him.

“I thought you might want something like this,” Will said, handing Abigail the scarf. Hannibal had been the one to pick it out, but had insisted that Will be the one to give it to her. “It’s a fashion statement and people won’t look too closely into it.”

Abigail’s previously closed off expression perked up at the proffered gift. “Thank you,” she said softly, moving the fabric to delicately encircle her neck. It was a deep red color and Will remembered the hesitance he had about Hannibal’s choice in color when he noticed that it looked like blood. “So, why are you here?”

Will fumbled with the right words to say when Hannibal spoke up. “We understand that none of your family is stepping into the parental role you need. We have come to offer to be your guardians,” Hannibal said.

Will and Abigail stared at Hannibal in bafflement. Will hadn’t expected Hannibal to be so direct, and had been expecting a more subtle ease into the idea. Abigail looked hesitant and confused about the idea.

“You want to be my dads?” She asked.

“Only if you so desire,” Hannibal said.

Seeing Abigail’s hesitancy still prevail through her eyes, Will decided to step in. “If you want, we can get to know each other before you make your decision.”

Abigail stared intensely at both of them before nodding her head slowly. “I- yeah that might work,” she said quietly, “I just don’t know anything about you and you don’t know anything about me so I just don’t know why you want to adopt me.”

“Paternal instinct can set in at a moment’s notice, and Will’s instinct set in when he first laid eyes on you,” Hannibal said calmly.

Will coughed awkwardly and turned his attention to Abigail’s side table. “Does your soulmate know you’re here?” Will asked.

Abigail’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know I have a soulmate?” she asked.

“I have an inclination to people’s actions, sometimes their thoughts,” Will said.

Of course Hannibal wasn’t satisfied with Will’s lackluster answer. “ _Will has_ a remarkably vivid imagination. Beautiful, _pure empathy_. There is nothing that he _can_ 't understand,” Hannibal said, pride licking at his words.

“Except social situations, I can’t understand those,” Will added, to help break any tension that was building. It garnered a smile from Abigail, so Will counted that as a win.

“She doesn’t know I’m here,” Abigail admitted, “Actually, Marissa only knows that my dad murdered my mom and tried to murder me.”

“So she does not know that you’re alright?” Hannibal asked. Seeing Abigail confirm this, he continued. “Would you like to visit her?”

Abigail’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious?” Abigail asked, “I thought I wasn’t allowed to leave.”

Will watched as Hannibal’s lips spread into a small smile. “I hear your psychiatrist is Alana Bloom, I believe that I can convince her to accompany us on our visit,” he said.

It was interesting to see Hannibal and Abigail get along so well, not that Will was complaining. Having a soulmate was turning out to be more interesting than he thought. He just had to hope his soulmate didn’t exercise his hobby while they were on this trip.

Or at least extend the invitation to have Will come with him. Perhaps it was because they’d finally met and the bond had formed, but Will couldn’t find it in himself to truly deny the exhilaration of Hannibal’s hobby. Murder husbands, he could see it now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter *gives you a plate of cookies and a glass of milk*  
> Leave a review if you have time!


	6. Becoming a Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the Hobbs' residence and Hannibal couldn't ask for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY!  
> You may have noticed that this is now marked as being complete, and I think it is for the most part. I want to leave it a little open for interpretation for what happens in the future.  
> Be that as it may, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Driving up to go visit his charge’s soulmate was actually quite entertaining. Neither Abigail nor Will truly knew what to say to each other so much of the conversation was done through stilted conversation. It was endearingly awkward and he saw the amusement in Alana’s eyes as she observed the two. Alana was rather taken by the idea of getting Abigail out of the facility, saying that it would probably do the girl some good.

After listening to Will and Abigail struggle through the topic of interests, he decided to step in. “Abigail, why don’t you tell us a bit about Marissa,” Hannibal suggested, glancing at her from the rear-view mirror.

“Marissa?” Abigail asked, looking puzzled that he was interesting.

“As one of your new fathers, I feel the need to know more about your soulmate.” It wasn’t a lie per-say, but he truly wanted to know whether he was going to have to deal with her in the future.

“Of course, you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Will said, giving her a soft smile. Hannibal smiled to himself, his soulmate could be polite when he wanted to be.

Abigail sat silently in her seat for a moment before saying anything. “Marissa is a spit-fire,” she said, “she’s very protective and has something of a temper when something sets her off.”

Will cracked a smile and looked pointedly at him from his spot in the backseat. “Now who does that remind me of?” Will asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, do continue Abigail,” Hannibal said.

Abigail seemed to be relaxing the more she talked about her Marissa. “She’s really great, she has these stunning eyes and she gives really good hugs and she loves to cuddle and kis-“Abigail paused in her sudden rant. Hannibal glanced up and chuckled at the blush that had blossomed across Abigail’s face.

“She sounds like a beautiful girl, Abigail,” Alana said, her voice soft.

The car settled into a comfortable silence that stretched the rest of the duration of the trip.

 

Arriving at the recently sold Hobbs’ residence should have run more smoothly, if the world wasn’t populated by the rude. The spray-painted word across the garage was crude despite the truth of it. The small group made their way throughout the house, some boxes full of mementos that Abigail might have wanted to keep were pushed against a wall.

“Would you like to look through any of them?” Will asked, the awkwardness almost absent from his voice for once. Hannibal knew of the confidence that dwelled beneath Will’s timid mask, but said nothing about it.

Abigail looked at the boxes with no small amount of trepidation. “I- If there is any pictures of Marissa, I might want those, but we can just take them with us, right?” she asked, directing her gaze back at Will. At his nod of approval, Abigail’s shoulders sagged in relief.

Alana was strangely quiet throughout the walk of the house, letting Will and Hannibal do all the talking. Hannibal understood that she was most likely analyzing how they interacted together so that she could put her input in on whether they would make good fathers to Abigail. She really was a good lamb.

Seeing Abigail’s shoulders tense again as they walked further into the house, Hannibal suggested they step outside.

“We can come right back if you’d like, but I believe some fresh air would do you some good,” Hannibal said, placing his hand on Abigail’s shoulder to guide her towards the back door.

The fresh air was better, and he noticed how Will’s shoulders’ noticeable relaxed once leaving the house. It would seem his Will wasn’t as unaffected by the whole thing as he had believed. He nodded his head at Alana who re-entered the Hobbs’ house to presumably begin to move the boxes to the car while they spent time with Abigail. He would have to invite the woman over for dinner soon.

“Are you okay?” Will asked, bending down slightly to look Abigail in the eye. Abigail released a weary sigh and nodded her head slightly. “You don’t have to be okay, you know that, right? No one expects you to suddenly bounce back from what happened.”

“But I want to be able to,” Abigail sighed.

Will nodded his head sagely and hesitantly opened his arms to her. Hannibal was mildly surprised at the action; Will was as fond of social events as he was of physical contact, but perhaps Hannibal just had to learn more about his significant other. Abigail copied Will, opening her arms up just as hesitantly and the two moved toward each other to embrace awkwardly. In any other situation, Hannibal might have found it comical, but in this instance, it was beautiful. Before their relationship had even started, they already had a child together, how scandalous.

The touching moment was ruined by an indignant squawk from behind them followed by a rush of footsteps.

“What are you doing to Abigail?!” the female shouted, repressed fury in her eyes. The girl walked with purpose towards Will and Abigail, who had jumped apart at the noise.

“Marissa!” Abigail cried with a large grin, scampering towards the girl and all but leaping into her arms. Marissa let out a quiet groan at the sudden tackle, but happily wound around her. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You’re telling me, I didn’t even know where you were,” Marissa said, pulling away slightly to look Abigail in the eye. It was fascinating seeing the two interact, and Hannibal wondered if Will and he would ever be that open with each other. More than likely, not. “I’m glad you’re okay though, Abigail. If your dad wasn’t already dead I might kill him myself…”

Abigail shook her head quickly and leaned her head against Marissa’s. “It’s okay, it’s over, I’m okay,” she said softly.

Marissa mumbled an acknowledgment before turning to glare at Will. “Who are you?”

Hannibal felt his jaw clench at the knee jerk reaction to rudeness, but attempted to quell his first instinct. If he wanted this family to work, he couldn’t kill his daughter’s soulmate, perhaps etiquette classes?

Will didn’t seem to be bothered by Marissa’s animosity and instead lifted his hands up in an innocent gesture. “I’m Will Graham,” Will said, before gesturing to Hannibal, “this is my soulmate, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. We were the ones that made sure that Abigail-“

“They’re my new dads,” Abigail interjected giving them a smiled. “They made it possible for me to come see you.”

Marissa’s glare melted away to reveal a relieved and thankful expression. “Thank you for helping Abigail,” she said.

Hannibal felt his previous displeasure with her nullify. Perhaps Will had a point when he said that he and Marissa were alike. The protective nature they both seemed to possess in monstrous quantities was probably beneficial for them. To keep what was theirs safe and get rid of those who would harm them.

“There is no reason to thank us, Marissa,” Hannibal said, walking over to Will and placing a hand on his lower back. “We felt a connection with Abigail and wanted to help her.”

Will looked at him curiously, but nodded his head in agreement. The group settled into an easy silence, only broken by the quiet muttering between Abigail and Marissa. Hannibal felt Will lean into his side.

“Are you cultivating a murder family?” Will asked, his warm breath brushing against Hannibal’s ear.

Hannibal didn’t answer Will and instead buried his nose in Will’s curls. Taking a deep breath he grimaced slightly at the strong atrocious aftershave, but didn’t move from where his nose was. “Tell me Will, do you believe I could be a simple family man?” Hannibal asked curiously.

“No,” Will said with a chuckle, “I think you like molding people too much to be any kind of ‘simple’ man. But be careful, I can’t cover for your hobbies if you get too out of control.”

“You’ll have to tame the beast then, won’t you dear Will.”

“Are you implying that I haven’t already?”

Hannibal would have replied if he didn’t hear a rustling behind them. Turning away from Will he looked at the young man who stood partially shadowed by the trees. The man didn’t seem to notice anyone else except Abigail.

“It’s your fault,” the man muttered, his eyes dark. He took a step closer to Abigail and increased his volume. “My sister died because of you. It’s your fault!”

Abigail startled at the sudden accusations and shrunk in on herself, something that Will was prone to do when Jack raised his voice suddenly at him. Marissa’s eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth at the boy; Hannibal felt proud that she had such a reaction. “You need to leave,” she hissed, stepping in front of Abigail.

“My sister didn’t have to die if she had just died,” the man shouted.

Will took a step towards the man before Hannibal could stop him. “You are not authorized to be here,” Will said firmly. It would seem Hannibal’s mongoose was posed to attack.

The man looked like he was ready to say something else when a rock struck him. Hannibal looked on in interest as Marissa drove the man away.

Will grabbed Hannibal’s arm and gave him a pointed look. “I think we should go hunting together,” Will said calmly.

Hannibal knew his pupils dilated and his breathing hitched for a moment. Slowly, a smile tug at the corner of his lips. “What a wonderful boy you are Will,” he muttered softly, “but I thought you were to be my moral compass.”

Will scoffed and smiled at him, “I’ve grown up learning to embrace your darker qualities. Who’s to say that I haven’t stepped into the dark myself?”

“Like blowing out a candle.”

“Make a wish,” Will joked, turning away from him and walking over to Marissa and Abigail.

Hannibal wasn’t sure how he had gotten so lucky, but he couldn’t ask for anything more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT'S IT! I hope you have enjoyed reading this fic and it lived up to the expectations you had (if not sorry).  
> *gives you all a plate of cookies and a glass of milk*  
> Please leave a review if you have time! :D
> 
> If you have a prompt that you want to send me, ask me at cakelanguage.tumblr.com


	7. Murder Husbands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicholas Boyle goes well with antlers, doesn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you wanted me to continue this, so I'm going to try my best to write more of this AU!

Their first hunt together is nothing short of mesmerizing. Will had seemingly learned throughout the years what Hannibal preferred in terms of his art projects. Perhaps it was the way that Will had so easily stalked up to their prey and silenced him with a firm hand and soaked clothe that started the pleasure settling in his chest, but it was wonderful.

Nicholas Boyle put up quite the fight, but Hannibal made sure he swooped in to restrain the flailing limbs before they could make contact with Will. Will gave him a grateful smile before calmly waiting for the boy to pass out. The possibility of Nicholas going into either respiratory or cardiac arrest was high, but it would make their task easier in the end. When Nicholas’ body stopped moving, Will released the rag from the boys’ mouth.

“One would think you’ve done this before,” Hannibal said, shifting so that he could get a better hold on the body.

“We did share an eye for over thirty years,” Will said, passing the rest of Nicholas’ body into Hannibal’s arms.

Hannibal quirked a smile at the comment. “An unfair advantage for you. Tell me Will, what would you do with Nicholas Boyle?”

Will hmmed quietly. “Perhaps a repeat of your field piece.”

“With the deer?”

“Yes, though, perhaps spice it up a bit. Jacob Hobbs kept all his antlers in a shed not far from here.”

“A recreation, but with an original twist.” The sardonic grin on Will’s face said all he needed to know how he felt about that. “What sort of fantasy are you envisioning?”

“A homage to his sister should suffice. The antler velvet to heal the wounds of grief and hate and his own crucifixion for his own righteous beliefs on how someone should pay for the death of others.”

Hannibal was amused by the thought Will had put into their hunt already. “His earlier actions were handled quite wonderfully by Marissa, would you not agree?”

Will paused his walking and gave Hannibal a considering look. “You plan on teaching her.”

“Perhaps,” Hannibal conceded with a nod, “she already shows promise of being an excellent student. Her protectiveness is an excellent quality and though her manners need to be polished, she is a lovely girl.”

Will shook his head at Hannibal’s statement and gestured for them to keep walking. “You’re taking into account that although Abigail is a hunter, she lures her prey like I do.” Hannibal nodded his head once. “Training someone to do what you do isn’t exactly safe, mistakes could easily be made.”

“You speak the truth, but I think Venice is a lovely place to live.” Hannibal smiled at the disgruntled noise Will made. “But you needn’t worry, if I wasn’t sure she could handle it I would not consider teaching her.”

“You’d have to somehow find out if Marissa even wants to kill anyone.”

“I believe everyone thinks about killing someone, Will. It all comes down to what motivation or perceptiveness one has after the first kill.”

The rest of the walk to the shed was in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Hannibal could almost hear the cogs working furiously in Will’s head.

“Are we just building a murder family, Hannibal?” Will asks, not looking away from his task of stripping Nicholas of his clothes. “Because if I recall correctly, we have not so much gone on a single date besides the dinner at your house.”

Hannibal quirked his lips at Will’s statement. “I was not aware you were feeling neglected,” Hannibal said. Will made a noncommittal noise. “Would you like me to take you away for a night? Let us bask in each other’s presence?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. Our alone time has mostly been christened in blood.”

Hannibal released a pleased hum as he helped Will heft Nicholas’ body onto the antlers on the wall. If Nicholas was still alive, he gave no indication that he felt the antlers pierce his body, but the way the blood leaked from his body leaned toward alive.

Will took a moment to examine his creation and felt a nauseous feeling settle in the back of his throat. Did the boy deserve this? While he did threaten Abigail, wouldn’t it have been just as effective to inform the police? Hadn’t he insisted to himself that he was Hannibal’s moral compass? No, he said he didn’t care. Did he care now?

“Will?” Hannibal asked, his voice cutting through his heavy thoughts. Will released a shuddering breath and turned his attention to Hannibal. “What is troubling you?”

Will took a minute to find his voice, mulling around what he wanted to say in his mouth. “Have I- was this right?” Hannibal’s eyebrows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything so Will continued. “I’m not going to lie to you, this felt good. This felt right, but…”

“Are you afraid that I will encompass your free will and change you into what I am?”

Will shook his head. “I already know that we’re the same.”

“Do you fear that you won’t be able to stop? That now that you have had a taste and that thrill has settled into your muscles that you won’t wish to stop.” Will shrugged his shoulders. “I can assure you then, Will, that you can do as little or as much of this as you want, I will not force you to do anything. If you feel you’re losing yourself, let me know so I can become your anchor.”

Will smiled softly at the pledge. “That is all I can ask.” He looked back at Nicholas Boyle’s prone body and felt the nausea fade into pride. “We have made a beautiful mockery of him, haven’t we?”

Will felt Hannibal snake a hand around his waist, Hannibal’s plastic suit squeaking as it folded. “Your vision has been realized, now all that’s left is the last bit of clean up to make sure it can’t be traced to us and we can return to our daughter.”

Will laughed softly and leaned his head against Hannibal’s shoulder. “That’s so weird, we’ve only just officially met and we already have a family together.”

“How scandalous we are, dear Will,” Hannibal murmured.

Will smiled up at Hannibal before realizing something. “Oh, and it’s Daughters,” Will corrected, “at least if you’re still planning on teaching Marissa. Besides, Abigail and Marissa will eventually get married I assume.”

“Our murder family continues to grow.”

Will stood on his toes to place a kiss at the corner of Hannibal’s mouth before moving away from him. “Enough talking, lets finish this so we can go back, I’m in desperate need of a shower.” Will saw the amusement that entered Hannibal’s eyes. “You can join me when you’ve made love to me.”

“Not a moment sooner?”

“Come on, Hannibal. If I’m going to cover for us, we have to be thorough in our clean up.”

Hannibal finally conceded with Will and helped remove anything that could link the murder to them: fingerprints, skin, hair, etc. With that finished the two calmly exited the shed and started walking back to the car.

“What did you tell Alana when you said we needed to leave for a while?” Will asked, kicking a stick out of his way.

“I told her that we needed to buy something for Abigail, and that I wished to take you out for a midnight stroll.”

“Well, I hope you do in fact take me on this supposed ‘midnight stroll’ eventually, and do you actually have a gift for Abigail?”

“Of course I do, I enjoy giving gifts.”

Will shot Hannibal a sly grin. “Does that mean I could have a pu-“

“You- _we_ have seven dogs, Will, I don’t believe we need a puppy at this time.”


	8. Team Sassy Science and Date Plans

When Nicholas Boyle’s body was found, Jack was of course called in. And with him came a tidal wave of rage and frustration, a lot of which was directed at Will. For a moment, Will thought of cowering back and baring his throat like a submissive dog, but he’d been practicing with Hannibal. So he met Jack’s glare head on and calmly listened as Jack chewed him out.

“You said he wasn’t going to do this again,” Jack hissed, and Will repressed a shiver of revulsion as spittle hit his cheek.

“And I was wrong,” Will said calmly, taking a small step back from Jack. He cursed Hannibal’s luck that he got to stay behind with Abigail and Marissa, who had yet to go home yet surprisingly.

“You’re not supposed to be wrong about these things, Will.”

“I’m aware, and this time I can guarantee he won’t kill someone like this again.” The unamused snort that left Jack’s mouth made Will sigh. It was like talking to a brick wall. “The copycat probably wanted to finish the job. He wanted a set, a man and a woman, maybe he was expressing his own revelation. Like Adam and Eve, perhaps he felt he ate one of the apples and condemned them in his place.”

Jack stared at him blankly, probably still trying to process what Will had just said. “So is this the last of the copycat? Or is he going to have an encore?”

Will shrugged, he wasn’t sure what was going to happen now. Hannibal was the original copycat and Will assisted in the second copycat killing. Was Will going to kill again? He knew that Hannibal would love it if he joined Hannibal with his murders. The man probably thought that murdering together would solidify and strengthen their relationship, a matrimony bathed in blood. Be that as it may, Will doubted he’d ever go off by himself though and even then, he wasn’t going to kill often. He was a fisherman, so he’d probably just lure people in for Hannibal if anything.

“Will?” Jack asked, taking a step closer.

Holding up a hand, Will calmly stepped around Jack and walked over to the scene. Nicholas’ skin had become waxy, but the cold air around them served to prevent a yellow discoloration of the skin. The pallor of his skin was only marred by the discoloration around the stab sites where the antlers had impaled him. It was one of those moments where Will wished he and Hannibal still shared an eye just for the chance to be able to share it with Hannibal (not that Hannibal had ever seen anything from Will’s eye).

“Do you need me for anything else, Jack?” Will asked, his voice soft.

Jack grunted but then gestured for him to get out before barking at the people around him to hurry up with the investigation.

Before he could leave he heard Beverly call his name. He looked back and gave the science team a smile before walking over to them, Hannibal could wait a while longer. “Jack hounding you guys too?” Will asked.

Beverly rolled her eyes. “He always does,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s a wonder how Mrs. Crawford puts up with him,” Brian murmured, and Will could just hear the teasing lilt that proved he wasn’t being serious.

Jimmy laughed and clapped a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “The same way I put up with you, I’m guessing,” Jimmy said good naturedly, judging the swipe that Brian took at his arm.

“I can’t believe my own soulmate is treating me like this,” Brian said.

Beverly laughed. “Oh yeah, it must be so hard,” she said.

“Just wait until you two find your soulmate, I promise that you’ll never be free of them and they’re so mean.”

“I think that’s just you, Brian,” Will said amusedly. “My soulmate’s perfectly reasonable,” most of the time when he isn’t murdering people for being rude, “and is in fact very nice to me.”

The group was silent for a moment before they all started asking him questions at once. Will laughed good-naturedly (something he hadn’t done much before) and held up a hand to halt all the questions.

“When’d you find your soulmate, Will?” Beverly asked, and he knew she was excited for him. Her cloudy left eye used to bother him, but he’s gotten used to it.

“During the shrike case,” Will said.

Brian laughed and rolled his eyes at Will. “Of course you’d find your soulmate during an investigation about a serial killer, did you meet covered in blood you weirdo?” Brian asked. He meant it teasingly, even though Will was still kind of annoyed by the man repeatedly calling him variations of creepy and weird. At Will’s silence Brian just stared at him in shock. “Really? Covered in blood?”

Will shrugged. “We were trying to save Abigail Hobbs’ life, I looked up and well that’s pretty much it.”

“What do you mean that’s it? Where are my details, Will? Was he one of the EMT guys? Who?” Beverly asked, and Will was amused to see she was almost bouncing with repressed excitement.

Will debated on whether to tell them or not, but Hannibal didn’t want to hide it so he might as well be honest. “It’s Hannibal Lecter.”

Beverly’s eyebrows shot up and Jimmy gave a squak. “As in Dr. Hannibal Lecter? The psychiatrist? Wasn’t he your psychiatrist?” Jimmy asked incredulously.

Will made a noncommittal noise and grinned when the science team continued to be shocked. “He’s a brilliant cook.”

Beverly recovered first and slapped him on the back. “You sure know how to nail ‘em, Will,” she said.

“Well, I didn’t really nail him, it’s fate and all-“

“Oh my god, I don’t know what to say about all this. Damn Graham, never thought this would happen to be honest,” Brian said and Will almost replied with a biting remark before he continued. “Congratulations man, you deserved someone and I’m glad it’s a good man like Dr. Lecter.”

Will suppressed the laughter that wanted to escape and gave them all a polite smile. Beverly was going to ask him something else when they heard Jack shouting for the team.

“Duty calls,” Beverly said before giving Will a wink. “Enjoy your soulmate, Will.”

* * *

 

Apparently, Marissa had already made plans to come with them and quite frankly, Will didn’t want to know how Hannibal convinced her parents that Marissa would be better off with them. Will wondered if perhaps he and Hannibal were rushing into things, but figured that they both were kind of unconventional so it should be fine. Besides, with Marissa coming with them, Abigail was much more excited about exploring her new home.

“Should I be jealous that they get to live in your house before I do?” Will asked, looking up at Hannibal after placing another box of Abigail’s things in her room.

Hannibal gave him a grin and brought his hand up to place it on Will’s cheek. “Would you like to move in with me, dear Will?”

Will smiled and ducked his head. “You still have to take me on at least one date, Hannibal.”

Hannibal made a mocking gasp. “How could I have forgotten Will? Do forgive me, I will make sure that is rectified immediately. There’s a Concert for Hunger Relief this Friday evening and I would be delighted if you would join me.”

Will pretended to think about it for a few moments before sending Hannibal a smile. “I would love to. I’ll need to find my suit though.” The unmasked aghast look the flashed through Hannibal’s eyes made Will laugh, and he tucked his head into Hannibal’s neck to try and muffle the sound. “I guess you will want to buy me one.”

“Only if you let me, I will not go against your wishes, Will.”

Will hummed and nuzzled Hannibal’s neck. “Do what you want, it’s your money and I already told you I wasn’t going to cage you, and preventing you from buying something at this point in our relationship may seem like chains.”

Hannibal placed a kiss amongst his curls for his response and Will smiled. The moment continued like that until they heard a quiet gasp.

“Oh gross, no, dads, you cannot do all this lovey-dovey stuff in my room, you’ll taint it,” Abigail complained, wrinkling her nose playfully at them. Marissa was choking back laughter behind her and Will felt content in that moment. His family, as new as it was, was coming together and eventually his pack would join them.

For now though, Will had a date to think about, and a daughter’s room to evacuate.


	9. Meeting a Fellow Beast

The concert was surprisingly enjoyable, Will found out on Friday evening. If he took the time to look past all the sumptuous people, he really did see that it was for hunger relief. He knew that Hannibal also chose the concert to continue his cannibal puns, but at least he was doing something good this time. The seats were a little crowded and Will was thankful that Hannibal had let him have the aisle seat.

“Has your mind already been overtaken by thoughts of vorfreude that are to come?” Hannibal asked, his breath tickling Will’s ear.

“Right now I’m curious as to what that word even means,” Will said, shifting in his chair again.

“Vorfreude is of German origin and refers to the joyful, intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures,” Hannibal raked his eyes across Will’s body, “tell me Will, does that not hold some truth to you?”

Will scoffed softly and raised an eyebrow at Hannibal. “That depends, you and I are known for having very different opinions on pleasure.”

“Not so, dear Will,” Will watched as Hannibal’s hand slowly drifted to his knee before giving it a gentle squeeze, “I find pleasure in a great deal of things, one of which is making you happy.”

“Then I guess you could say that my thoughts are full of vorfreude.” Will took a moment to look around at the other attendees. Each one more gaudy than the last until his gaze landed on a stout man. His hair was curly and looked like he’d tried to grease it flat and his suit, while of good quality, was ill-fitted. Will couldn’t tell if the man had found his soulmate or not, but what he could tell was that his sights were set firmly on Hannibal.

Will’s eyes narrowed and he shifted his eyes from Hannibal’s oblivious form to the staring man. Taking liberty of the opportunity, he decided that he could have a closer look. Closing his eyes, he let himself sink into the consciousness of the man.

_He’s here, he’s right over there and I know how excited he’ll be when he sees me. He’ll see how we’re interested in the same things, and see how well I spruce up. Of course I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t get jealous of Tobias, but Dr. Lecter is the real shining star tonight. But he’ll see that we’re meant to be friends, probably even soulmates if he takes the time to actually look at me. But he’s so shy-_

“Will?” Hannibal asked, placing a hand on Will’s shoulder.

Will took in a shuddering breath before shaking his head to clear his mind. “You didn’t tell me you had a stalker,” Will said.

Hannibal furrowed his brows before glancing around the room and spotting the other man who quickly ducked out of view. “That is one of my patients, Franklyn Froideveaux. He has terrible neurosis and it frustrates me to no end that I cannot help him.” Will tried to hide his shock but Hannibal must have seen it for he continued speaking. “I am his tenth psychiatrist and not one of us has been able to help him. As much as his habits bother me, I still wish to help him.”

“He’s not rude?”

Hannibal quietly laughed beside him. “Actually, he’s terribly rude though I do not believe he truly understands that he is being rude.”

Will nodded his head. “That must irk you to no end.”

Hannibal made a noncommittal noise before he quieted down when the spotlight came on the woman onstage. Will thought she was pretty if a bit plain, but he understood Hannibal’s enraptured state when she opened her mouth. The notes bounced between being heady and dulcet and struck a chord in Will’s chest. The woman’s voice held such power over the audience, not unlike a siren. He closed his eyes to further immerse himself in the voice, letting it play out a story for him.

It wasn’t until the woman sang her last song that Will opened his eyes again. The woman still looked as poised as she did when she started, but the perspiration on her brow gave away her exhaustion. He chanced a glance at Hannibal only to be enthralled by the moisture that was puddling in Hannibal’s eyes. It made him appear softer, like underneath his cold exterior lay a man whose hardships outweighed the good, but still clung to a light at the end of the tunnel. It made him happy that Hannibal never hid who he was from Will.

As a tear fell from Hannibal’s eye, Will reached out his hand to gently brush it away before he could stop himself. The moisture seeped between the groves of his thumbprint and Will felt himself flush delicately as Hannibal leaned into his hand.

And like that the soloist’s song came to an end. Immediately Hannibal was on his feet clapping enthusiastically. Will clumsily stood up to join his clapping, his mind still preoccupied with what had just transpired.

Will kept forgetting that he hadn’t met Hannibal that long ago, only a couple of months. They still had so much to learn about each other, so much to understand, so much to see. All that Will knew was that it’d be beautiful no matter what he learned, for even the thorns of roses are beautiful.

 

“Are we really expected to socialize? Can’t we just go home?” Will asked, fiddling with his sleeves.

Hannibal hummed softly beside him. “Will, unfortunately I am expected to have small talk with at least half this room. Such is the more elite life of Baltimore.”

Will snorted and rolled his eyes. “So basically it’s just a lot of people trying to kiss your ass.”

“More or less, but perhaps a bit less blunt than you put it.”

Will would have been fine with continuing their verbal tennis match if they hadn’t been approached by an older woman in a slinky, red dress.

“Ah, Mrs. Komeda, how nice to see you,” Hannibal said with a smile. Will was surprised to see that it was genuine.

“Hannibal Lecter, why I haven’t seen you in quite some time,” Mrs. Komeda said, before reaching a hand up to place on Hannibal’s check. “Don’t tell me you found your soulmate?”

Hannibal winked at the woman before gesturing to Will who tried to straighten his posture. “This is my lovely soulmate, Special Agent William Graham.”

Will waved off Hannibal’s introduction before offering his hand to the woman. “Will is fine, Mrs. Komeda.” The woman stared at his hand with raised eyebrows before giggling politely into her hand. Will furrowed his brows and turned to look questioningly at Hannibal who only gave him a soft smile.

“Oh I quite like him, Hannibal. I believe a congratulations is in order,” she gave Hannibal a sly grin, “perhaps with a dinner party?”

Hannibal chuckled. “Of course Will would be my inspiration.”

“Avoid dog food,” Will said off-handedly, but the statement garnered a laugh from Mrs. Komeda.

Mrs. Komeda’s laughter died off quickly and she cleared her throat and gestured behind them. “It seems someone desires your attention.”

Hannibal and Will turned around as a unit only to see Franklyn and a dark skinned man standing there. Franklyn stuttered a few times before finally gathering his wits. “It’s a surprise to see you here, Dr. Lecter. I wasn’t aware we shared such eclectic taste in entertainment,” Franklyn said, gesturing wildly with his arms.

“Yes well, I’m here with my soulmate Will,” Hannibal said politely, wrapping an arm around Will’s waist.

Franklyn gaped for a moment and Will felt bad for the man as a flash of angst entered his eyes. “Oh, that’s- that’s wonderful, truly, you know I’m still searching for my soulmate, I feel like if they actually looked at me, they’d see it. How perfect we’d be together.”

The man beside him snorted quietly. “He could barely take his eyes off you, doctor,” the man said.

“Tobias don’t- oh yes I suppose I should introduce my friends to each other. Dr. Lecter, this is my friend Tobias Budge. Tobias, this is my good friend Dr. Hannibal Lecter.”

Will saw Hannibal’s lips pull down in a frown. “Franklyn, you are my patient, we are not friends,” Hannibal said.

Franklyn shrank into himself more, but Tobias brought the conversation away from Franklyn. “I couldn’t help but hear of a celebration that is to come,” Tobias said.

Hannibal nodded his head once. “But of course, it would be ridiculous not to celebrate finding my soulmate, and I would love to show Will off.”

Will grumbled quietly how he wasn’t a show dog, but Mrs. Komeda talked over him, obviously tired of being silent. “And have you seen this man cook? It’s an entire performance,” she said excitedly.

Tobias quirked his lips and gazed between Will and Hannibal. “Well, we must be off, we wouldn’t want to monopolize your time. Come along, Franklyn,” Tobias said, before he started calmly walking away. Franklyn looked hesitant before nervously waving at the group and scurrying after Tobias.

Mrs. Komeda quickly filled the silence. “You will send an invitation soon for that dinner party, won’t you Dr. Lecter?” she asked.

“I would hate to disappoint,” Hannibal said with a wink.

Mrs. Komeda giggled before politely dismissing herself to go gossip with a group of woman that were standing near the wall. Will turned his attention back to Hannibal, who still had a firm hand wrapped around his waist.

“Did you feel something off about that man?” Will asked.

Hannibal disguised his nod as a kiss in Will’s curls. “I believe we have a new playmate,” Hannibal said.

Will narrowed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Just remember to be careful, I don’t want you to die because you choose to play with along a wire.”

The haughty smile Will received from Hannibal told him all he needed to know. Hannibal was merely playing with potential food, and he always enjoyed understanding fellow beasts.

So much for a simple date.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Unfortunately, it will take some time to get another chapter out as I have a convention this weekend and then surgery, but I will try to write a new chapter as soon as possible!
> 
> *gives you all a plate of cookies and a glass of milk* 
> 
> Please leave a review if you have time!


	10. Can you keep a secret?

Will grimaced as he took in the sight before him. The man’s neck had been torn to shreds and the neck of a cello shoved down it to form a human cello. The very idea caused Will to shift uncomfortably, especially when he kept getting phantom smells of the red spruce that the neck was made of. He carefully walked around the human cello, avoiding the science team and the other officers taking pictures of the scene.

“Will?” Jack interrupted, waving his hand for Will to come closer. “I’m going to need you to work your magic on this one, get me as much information as you can.”

Nodding his head, Will took a steadying breath and watched as everyone filed out of the area to let Will work in piece. When he was sure that he could do what he needed to do, he closed his eyes and let the pendulum swing.

_Disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful, a supposed master of his instrument. Not so. For if he was such a good player then he wouldn’t have kept missing the notes. Too much staccato when the obvious choice should have been to add more legato. Ruined the song, soil the instrument. But there has to be at least one thing about you that is good. Yes, your own instrument._

_It wasn’t hard to corner the man, he was alone in a practice room, a place he should have been living in if he wanted to be half as good as he thought he was. A slip of piano wire around his neck was child’s play to tear open, but only enough for bleeding out, he didn’t want to lose a piece of his instrument._

And just like that Will let himself envision what the killer had done. From treating the vocal cords to carefully setting the man up. And then Will envisioned playing the man, and the deep and rich sound echoed throughout the auditorium. Will quickly drew himself away from the sight and shook his head to clear it of the killer’s thoughts. Will had an idea on who this was, but he had to talk about it with Jack and the others, for now though, Will was going home.

 

 

Will waited patiently for Hannibal to come home after he had swung home and fed his dogs before taking them outside. Luckily since Will usually spent the night at his own house in Wolf Trap, the dogs weren’t feeling neglected. Despite the brief respite from thoughts of the current case he was working on, Will still kept going back to his hunch. Which is why he needed to talk to Hannibal. It didn’t help that Abigail and Marissa were with Alana going on a college tour, as the house was eerily silent. When Will finally heard the front door open he let out a pleased sigh.

“Hannibal, I’m in the living room,” Will said, shifting himself so he could better face the entrance. Hannibal waltzed in with his usual grace, a smile tucked into the corner of his mouth when he saw Will. Will closed his eyes as Hannibal’s lips brushed against his own.

“Hello, Will,” Hannibal said, taking a seat beside him on the couch. “How are you?”

Will snorted and gave Hannibal a dry look. “It would have been better if your playmate hadn’t decided to make organic instruments,” Hannibal raised a delicate brow at the statement.

“Organic instruments?”

“A human cello to be precise.”

Hannibal let out a noncommittal hum. “Did it work?”

Will gaped at Hannibal. “That is not the issue here.”

“I was just curious, Will. Catgut is still used for many classical and baroque string players as they provide a richer sound than the steel or synthetic strings more commonly used today. I was just wondering if the vocal cords provided the same sound.”

Will shot a glare at Hannibal. “Oh yeah it sounded wonderful especially with his larynx ripped open and the neck of a cello shoved down his throat.” Will took a calming breath. “Hannibal, I have to tell Jack.”

Hannibal didn’t answer but reached his hand out to lay it on top of Will’s. Will felt the tension in his shoulders leaving as his soulmate seemed to understand the severity of the situation.

“Will,” Hannibal said softly. “I would be most appreciative if you’d wait just a bit longer to report Tobias.”

Will felt all the released tension quickly return to his body. “What?”

“I wish to hear what other performances he has to play. If you-“

Will yanked his hand away from Hannibal’s. “Are you asking me not to do my job?” Hannibal’s silence answered the question for him. “Hannibal, I might say it’s fine to keep up your hobby, but I also have a duty to follow here, soulmate or not.”

“And yet you don’t report the Chesapeake Ripper even though you know who lies behind the murder.”

Clenching his teeth Will turned his gaze away from Hannibal. “You know why I can’t do that,” taking a calming breath, he turned back to Hannibal, “but I can save lives by telling Jack. Is it that important for you to play your games that you would jeopardize my job?”

 “He will be caught in the end, it will likely be that he will only play one more song for us before that time.”

 “How many songs he plays isn’t the issue here. What if he decides he wants to make one of us his final concerto?”

Hannibal let out a quiet chuckle and shot Will and amused glance. “Do you think that I couldn’t take him down? Or that I would even let him get close to you?” Hannibal asked. Will didn’t bother to answer the man and when he felt the gentle weight of Hannibal’s hand between his shoulder blades, it felt a little like betrayal.

“I,” Will started, clearing his throat and straightening his posture, “I need to go home, I’ll see you later Hannibal.”

Hannibal looked as if he wanted to say something, but calmly removed his hand from Will’s back and let Will stand up. “Will, you know I cannot change my nature any more than you can change yours.”

Will clenched his fist and nodded tersely. The quick kiss he gave Hannibal felt wrong on his mouth and he resisted the urge to scrub at his mouth. Hopefully this would all blow over and he and Hannibal would go back to how they usually were. But until then, Will was going to tell Jack and prayed that he was making the right decision.

 

 

“You have a lead?” Jack asked, his eyebrows raised and eyes hungry for information.

Will shrugged. “Call it a hunch,” he said, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve.

“Your hunches are usually correct, Will.”

“Anyway, when I went to the opera with Hannibal the other day there was a man there that seemed… off.”

Jack gave him a dry look. “Off?”

“Think of a wolf in a sheep’s clothing.”

“Alright and is there any solid evidence that it’s- who is this?”

“Tobias Budge, and no,” Will realized his theory wouldn’t stand up in court, but he was hoping Jack would be convinced enough to apply for a warrant. "He's a cello instructor and his the owner of Chordophone String Shop."

Jack let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Will,” he started.

“I know, Jack,” Will said hurriedly, “I know that there isn’t anything to go on besides my gut, but you have to trust me on this.”

Jack inspected him for a moment before nodding his head once. “Fine, we can get a warrant.”

Will felt his shoulders relax. “Thank you,” Will said softly. “And I’ll be going in fist by the way.” Jack’s head shot up and he looked ready to start berating Will. “No, it’d make sense, I can say that Hannibal’s harpsichord needs tuning or something along those lines. If I play my cards right, he might give himself away.”

“You think it’ll be that easy?”

Will gave a humorless grin. “Pride will always be their undoing, Jack.”

Will could only hope that it wouldn’t be Hannibal’s as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, my surgery went well and I'm slowly recovering. 
> 
> As for this chapter, sorry it's not the showdown with Tobias, but that'll be next chapter. I'm kind of struggling on where to go after this even with Tobias and I'll probably just end up calling it complete. I never intended to move past the six chapters this fic originally had, but I hope you've all enjoyed these additional chapters (and if not, well...). 
> 
> Thank you all for your support and thank you so much for reading!


	11. Questioning

He wonders if it’s because their soulmates that Will feels betrayal trailing behind him like a train. And it adds onto a wedding gown of miscommunication that really should be resolved before his relationship develops even further. He wonders briefly if Hannibal has ever made human flesh flowers and if he’d make Will a bouquet. The thought is immediately scrapped as he continues his morning ritual.

The dogs are running amongst the unkempt grass and he smiles at their happy yips and playful nature. Dogs were so much easier to understand than people. That’s not entirely true for Will; he always understands people, too much most of the time. It’s just his luck that he suddenly doesn’t seem to be able to understand where Hannibal is coming from.

But that’s also untrue. Will _does_ understand why Hannibal wants to wait for the game to play out. He understands the macabre entertainment it is to watch a killer think he can somehow take down the apex predator. As if he has an actual chance. It’s amusing, to watch a killer claw their way up to the king’s throne and throw his gauntlet down only to be defeated in a single blow. To Hannibal, they’re similar to a sheep trying to learn to be the shepherd only to be put down when it proves to try and take over the shepherd’s role. He understands all too well.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Will to convince himself that he has to be the voice of reason. He has to be the one who tries to follow the rules. He bites his tongue when some of his fellow investigator’s shoulder pass him like spoilt children. He feels his blood practically boil every time he spots Freddie Lounds, and secretly wonders if Hannibal would plate her meat with orange lilies and orange mocks in honor of her flaming hair and the loathing they both share for the woman.

Maybe he doesn’t have to be the one on the straight and narrow, but he’d have to if he didn’t want to risk Hannibal somehow being caught. And maybe it was still some moral obligation that Jack had drilled into his very being, that Will was _useful_ and Jack knew the right buttons and strings to pull to have Will going along, if a bit reluctantly. There will be a time where Will can safely accept the darkness that is now cradled within his heart, nurtured and fueled from years of watching Hannibal’s kills through their shared eye and his experience with the murder of Nicolas Boyle.  Until then, he has to follow the rules of not only his job, but Jack’s as well.

The betrayal isn’t as sharp after he’d admitted that to himself. He whistles sharply to call the dogs back to the house so he can get ready to head to Tobias’ shop. He doesn’t dwell any further on what Hannibal’s reaction to Will ending his serial killer playdate will be, but he thinks he can find a way to make it up to him.

* * *

 

Chordophone String Shop is a quaint little shop nestled delicately in an unsuspecting neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. The shop is warm, but not enough to cause a person to sweat, just enough to make the eyelids droop. The instruments are all strategically placed for not only for easy access but to allow each one to shine on its own. If he wasn’t here for a job, Will thinks he could have stayed a while just browsing the shop.

As it is, Will feels slight trepidation run down his spine as he enters the shop. He hears the sounds of a bow sliding across the strings before he sees Tobias. The man is looking calmly at them as he puts down his instrument, as if two officers and the man he’d seen at the opera hadn’t come into his shop.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” Tobias asked.

Will nods his head. “We're investigating the death of Douglas Wilson,” Will said, “He was-“

“The trombonist.” Will’s eyes narrow at the other man. “I hear someone cut his throat and tried to play it with a bow.” The man is terrible at hiding the reverence in his voice at the statement.

“Why do you say tried?”

Tobias gives him a haughty look and Will takes a moment to thank whatever higher being up there that Hannibal hasn’t given him that look yet. He doubts Hannibal would like being in a dog house. “The strings have to be treated,” Tobias said, grabbing a roll of string from the shelf. “You can't just open somebody up and draw a bow across their innards and expect to produce a sound."

Will bares his teeth in a mockery of a smile. “The vocal chords were chemically treated,” Will practically snarls, and he sees the officers’ shift out of the corner of his eye.  _“_ Similar to how catgut string is treated. We kept those details out of the press." Will is aware that he is becoming increasingly sardonic with Tobias as time goes on, but the man is practically digging his own grave.

But just like Hannibal, Tobias seems to have plenty of experience playing information off as something else. “I don’t make catgut strings, but I understand the process. Mine are imported from Italy.” Tobias gives him a look and hands Will the roll of string. “The best catgut is.”

Will barks out a humorless laugh. “More authentic?”

“Yes,” Tobias said, sweeping his gaze across the instruments in the room before settling back on the string in Will’s hand. “A richer, darker sound. Allows music to say what words can't.”

It’s almost as bad as Hannibal’s cannibal puns, but Will manages to not react. Will goes to continue to his line of questions until he hears his phone chime from his pocket. He curses quietly as he reaches into his pocket to find the thing. “I’ll be back in a moment, officers feel free to continue asking for information,” Will said, as he moved towards the door to take his conversation outside. He feels a bit guilty for asking them to do something that’s not really their line of work, but he can’t let his phone go to voicemail in case it’s Jack.

The winter air nips at his nose as he pulls out his phone. “Hello, this is Will Graham,” he said.

“Hello William.”

Will feels his breath hitch slightly before he lets out a sigh. “Hannibal.”

“I believe I asked you to let the game play out.” The words are flat and Will knows that Hannibal is more than a bit annoyed.

“And I never said I would. Hannibal, this is my job and until a time comes where _we_ can safely do this, we’re following the rules.”

Hannibal is silent for a moment, probably ruminating on the ‘we’ of his statement. “I’ve never been caught before.”

Will almost laughs at how petulant the man sounds on the phone. “Well then think of it as me upping the ante of this game.”

“William, where are you?”

“In a neighboring lion’s den. If I do this right, he should come to you. I’m well aware you’ve probably been in contact with him, which we’re going to discuss later by the way.”

“Are you sure you should be doing that alone?” Will knows that Hannibal has faith in him, but Hannibal also knows that Will has never participated in a seemingly solo hunt.

“I’ll be fine, there are two officers with-“ Will hears a faint thump from inside. “Maybe one officer now. Look I have to go, you’ll probably see your pet project soon.”

“Be safe, dear Will.”

Will nods his head, even though Hannibal can’t see it. “I will. Be prepared, he’ll be riled up by the time he gets to you.”

“I’ll make it look like self-defense if that’s what you’re asking,” Hannibal said, his amusement almost palpable.

Will quickly said goodbye before hanging up his phone and walking back into the shop, holding the bell so it doesn’t make any noise. The shop is too quiet now and Will pulls out his gun before moving deeper into the shop. He spots one officer lying in a pool of his own blood, the endpin sticking through his throat. The sight reminds Will of a pinned butterfly. He pulls out his phone and hurriedly calls for ERT and gives them the details. He hears noises coming from deeper in the shop and quickly stands up to investigate.

 

The basement is the exact opposite of the shop. It’s cramped and cluttered and almost cold enough for Will to see his own breath. The chemicals burn his nose, but he steadily moves forward. The walls are covered with what can only be jarred intestines and he sees a few of the intestines hanging out to dry. He takes only a moment to observe the drying intestines before he feels wire come against his hands. If his hands weren’t already at eye-level from where he was leaning down, he knows that Tobias would have successfully managed to strangle him.

Will struggled with the wire and felt it cut into his hands with no mercy. Gritting his teeth, Will wiggled his hands enough to be able to aim the gun behind him. He hopes that it doesn’t go through the other man’s head as he fires the shot. The sound is absolutely deafening and he feels his ears throb as the sound bounces off the walls. He feels something warm hit the back of his neck and suddenly the wire has loosened its hold. When he manages to turn around he catches a glimpse of Tobias scrabbling up the stairs and Will fires another couple of shots at the man out of spite.

It’s Hannibal’s turn to play now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all so much for reading this chapter!
> 
> Secondly, I NEED YOUR HELP! Do you guys want to read the fight scene as an actual fight scene? Otherwise I'm going to use a lot of Hannibal-esque romanticism about two beasts clashing. It's your choice my readers, but I would greatly appreciate your input!


	12. Metanoia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Metanoia (meh-tah-NOY-ah) (n.) - the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self or way of life.   
> Origin: Greek

Hannibal sat primly in his chair, half listening Franklyn’s rambling. He should have felt more guilty about not giving one of his patients his full attention, but his mind was preoccupied with other things; namely Will. Hannibal was fully aware of the situation he put Will in, but he hadn’t asked it because he expected his soulmate to fold to his whims. Hannibal was waiting for Will’s becoming to finally settle in, for Will to accept his own dark desires.

And when Will had left, most likely to give Jack a lead, Hannibal probably shouldn’t have invited Tobias over. The other man was fascinating in a way similar to gazing upon a buck during a hunt. He wasn’t entirely unique, had the same haughty attitude that Hannibal himself carried, but still fascinating. He listened as the man described his kills and what he was trying to accomplish.

When Tobias admitted that he had intended to kill both Hannibal and Will before realizing who Hannibal was, Hannibal had to bite his cheek. Beneath the rage that was curling in his belly he wondered what instrument they would have made. A harpsichord would have been acceptable. Tobias didn’t register Hannibal’s increasing anger at the time and talked about wishing for a friend who shared his interests. Hannibal had no qualms against quickly saying that he did not share the other man’s sentiments. When asked why Hannibal had invited him, Hannibal gave him a smile with all teeth and admitted he was going to kill him. Instead of that, the man had left and Hannibal wondered for once if perhaps Will had been in the right in this situation.

Tuning back into Franklyn’s ramblings, the man is still sobbing about the news Hannibal had given him.

“Nine,” Franklyn said, his voice like a whimper. “Nine times. I can count on two hands the number of psychiatrist that have dumped me.”

Hannibal feels bad about it, more frustrated than anything. He had wanted to help Franklyn but it wasn’t working at all. “I’m sorry, Franklyn, but I think you need to see another doctor.” Hannibal said.

Franklyn just gave him a lost look. “You’re giving me a referral? You were a referral.”

“You are focusing on me too much,” Hannibal takes a breath, “you aren’t focusing on your therapy.”

“Is this because I didn’t report Tobias when I mentioned he was acting strange? You’ve lost your respect for me.”

“I didn’t respect you,” Hannibal said calmly.

“Report Tobias for what?” a voice echoes through the room and Hannibal quickly looks to the door. Hannibal stares at the man, his shirt covered in blood, his ear missing, and a long coil of wire held in his hand.

Franklyn is the one who moves first. “Is that your blood?” Franklyn asked.

“I just killed two men,” Tobias said calmly. Hannibal felt his heart clench in his chest. “The police came to question me about the murder.” Hannibal feels like the world is quieter at that moment. He feels like ice is trying to settle in his veins while embers burn in his chest. He wished desperately that he was still sharing an eye with Will and that he could have Will’s empathy to try and catch a glimpse of his soulmate.

Part of him instantly comes to his soulmates defense and disregards Tobias’ statement. His dear Will is strong, he wouldn’t be taken down so easily. But another part of him argues that Will died and he died because Hannibal insisted he wanted to play with his food.

“You have to give yourself up right now,” Franklyn said, taking a step towards Tobias. He looks like he wants to say more but Hannibal cuts him off.

“Franklyn, I want you to leave,” Hannibal said. He’s leaving Franklyn no room to argue and he hopes that Franklyn senses the two lions in the room and will not argue with him.

Franklyn doesn’t seem to hear him though and continues to reassure Tobias that he can be fixed and that there is rehabilitation to help him. It’s almost touching to see that Franklyn has so much faith in Tobias. Until Tobias reaches out and snaps his neck.

Hannibal hears Franklyn’s body hit the floor, but he can’t pull his eyes away from Tobias’ left eye slowly turning white. Either the situation was horribly ironic or, “you and Franklin were soulmates.”

Tobias gives him a blank look. “He saw me as a friend and never looked me in the eye,” he said, glancing down at Franklyn’s corpse. “I had a feeling though. But I always found him annoying, the way he seemed to becoming obsessed with people so easily and his delusional fantasies. And even though he’d be obsessed with these people, he’d still come back. It was pathetic.” Hannibal would be the first to admit that he was not a good man, but he didn’t think he could ever kill Will. Maybe the two of them could joke about murdering each other, but never follow through. “Besides, I had been looking forward to that.”

Tobias fought like the beast he claimed to be, but Hannibal had always prided himself in his ability to take down his opponents. Where Tobias had a favored weapon, Hannibal was adaptable. The whistling of the wire whipping through the air did nothing to deter Hannibal’s actions. He was fighting for his life and his soulmate’s life, should Will be alive. Will wouldn’t have given up without a fight, but with each blow Hannibal landed on Tobias he imagined it as vengeance for whatever Tobias had done to Will.

He wasn’t entirely without injury; blood dripped down his chin from his split lip and his leg throbbed from where the letter opener had been plunged into his flesh. The wire that had attempted to strangle him had been quickly shifted away from him, but it served to make Hannibal’s mind drift.

Will was sturdy, but lithe. Given enough force the man could be easily taken down. And Will wasn’t vicious yet, he didn’t go for the throat when facing an opponent. Hannibal could imagine Will’s struggles growing weaker as steel wire was drawn tighter across his throat. He imagined his soulmate scrambling desperately for his gun, feet away from him before the light slowly faded from his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that Hannibal wanted to stare into for the rest of his life. Lifeless. Cold. Dead.

His thoughts kindled the rage in his chest as he managed to shove Tobias against the ladder in his office. He listened with a vindictive smile as the bone in Tobias’ arm snapped under the force Hannibal applied to it. Before Tobias could think of retaliating, Hannibal delivered a sharp blow to the man’s trachea. From the painful gasping he knew he’d broken the man’s trachea. As much as he wanted to relish in the man’s dying gasps, he knew that he had to take care of the man efficiently. Pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket, he picked up the stag statue, he slammed it over Tobias’ head. The man made no more sounds.

He slowly put his handkerchief back in its rightful place before slowly making his way over to the harpsichord that sat in the corner. As the elegant notes of the J.S. Bach’s Komm Susser Tod echoed through the office, Hannibal prayed to that Will was alive and well. That he’d see those eyes again.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal wasn’t completely aware of when the agents began to process his office, only that he was sitting at his desk leg throbbing, with tears reddening his eyes. He watched as tape was spread out and sheets were cast over both Tobias and Franklyn’s bodies. He hadn’t expected to feel so despondent about the situation and wondered if he would have felt differently if Will wasn’t his soulmate. Most likely not.

A figure stepped through the door, Jack looking suspiciously around the office. But Hannibal didn’t pay him much attention once another figure entered the office.

William, his dear Will still clad in his abominable plaid shirt, looking almost the same as he did the night before. He could see the deep red line across his throat, but the skin wasn’t broken. Will was staring at him with unconcealed relief and the smile he gave Hannibal could have lit his way across the sea. Will walked towards him, expertly avoiding the agents milling around. Will sat on the edge of his desk and just took a moment to take him in.

Hannibal felt drawn in, as if he would drown in the other man’s eyes. He couldn’t have asked for a better death if that was the case. Hannibal leaned his face against the hand that Will had slowly stretched out. He placed a kiss against the palm and let the two of them bask in the moment.

“You survived,” Will said softly, brushing his thumb against Hannibal’s split lip.

“Was there ever a doubt in your mind that I wouldn’t?” Hannibal asked. Will nodded his head, but didn’t say anything instead just brushing the hair that had fallen into Hannibal’s face. Hannibal felt his heart clench. “I feared for you too. When I wished to see what would happen, I never expected for you to get hurt. I should have realized that you wouldn’t lie down and go along with it.”

Will shook his head. “We’re alive, but we both have to consider each other in the future.”

Before the two could say anymore, Jack stepped up to them.

“Tobias Budge killed two Baltimore police officers, nearly killed an FBI Special Agent, and his first stop after that was here,” Jack said.

“He came to kill my patient,” Hannibal said truthfully. “They were soulmates.”

Jack looked as if he had been struck for a moment. Will quickly butted in to ask his question. “Your patient, is that who Budge was serenading?” Will asked.

“I don’t know,” and Hannibal really didn’t know. Hannibal had assumed that Tobias was trying to serenade him, but perhaps there was a part of him that was trying to serenade Franklyn. “Franklyn knew more than he was telling me. He told Mr. Budge that he didn’t have to kill anymore. Then he broke Franklyn’s neck, and attacked me.” Hannibal said.

“And you killed him?” Jack asked, seeming to have gotten over the news that Hannibal had given him.

“Yes,” Hannibal said quietly. He was playing Jack like a fiddle.

Jack looks like he wants to say more, but walks over to one of the agents processing the stag statue. Hannibal sees Will suppress a smile at the sight of it and makes a questioning hum.

“I used to see that stag in my dreams and it would guide me,” Will said.

Hannibal took Will’s hand gently in his own, letting his thumb caress the skin. “The stag represents rebirth and renewal, the heralds of a new life,” Hannibal said. Will stared at Hannibal searchingly. “Perhaps it is time to herald in a new life.”

“If you are talking about children, we already have one and seven furry ones.”

Hannibal chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, not children dear Will. What would you say to moving?”

Will tilted his head. “Moving where?”

“I’ve wanted to show you Florence.”

Will’s eyebrows crept up towards his hairline. “You want to move to Florence? What about Abigail?”

“I think it’d be a lovely idea, the schools are excellent and she will flourish there. Nobody there will link her to her father. You can do what you want to do, teach or fix boats, whatever you wish. And the food is amazing of course, you can easily walk to get fresh ingredients every day.”

“This isn’t going to fly with Jack, you know that right?”

Hannibal gave Will a wicked grin. “But he cannot stop you, not after both of us have been attacked on a case, especially when you aren’t a real special agent. You were never cleared for duty, I have everything in order for us to easily make our way to Florence. I’ve already found a house that would be perfect, plenty of land and refined enough for both of our tastes.”

Will shook his head. “How long have you been planning this?”

“You’ll soon find out that there is very little I don’t plan, Will.”

Will rolled his eyes and gave the man a smile. “I suppose if we happened to go hunting in Florence, you’ll teach me? I feel like I’m ready to learn now.”

The smile Hannibal gave Will in return was nothing short of ecstatic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with this fic until the end! I hope it lived up to all of your expectations. I've enjoyed writing this story and I'm really proud that I was able to write an enjoyable story that so many people have read. 
> 
> If you have any prompts you wish to send me, send them at cakelanguage.tumblr.com/ask


	13. Florence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is THE last chapter of this fic. I only added this chapter because a sweet anon on tumblr asked for it, so I hope you enjoy it~!

Florence was breathtaking with its rich history of art and architecture. Hannibal had wasted no time in taking Will and Abigail to all of his favorite locations. From the Florence Cathedral to the Uffizi Gallery, Hannibal took them everywhere. It was spectacular.

Will hadn’t been sure what would happen if either he or Abigail expressed they wanted to explore on their own, but when Abigail had asked, Hannibal conceded with a smile after handing her a pocket knife. ‘Just in case,’ Hannibal had claimed. But with Abigail gone on her own exploration, Hannibal took Will on a proper date.

If Will was being honest, the entire time here had felt like one long date, but he was enjoying the experience. So Hannibal took him out to lunch at Pitti Gola E Cantina, where they ate traditional Italian cuisine made with fresh, local ingredients. Their meal was accompanied by a variety of hand selected wine for them to try, and Hannibal even bought a bottle of Merlot that they both found to opulent and velvety. Will tried to hide his noise of distress when he saw the number at the bottom of the bill, but Hannibal waved him off with a smile; rich bastard.

After lunch, Hannibal took him for a walk across the Ponte Vecchio. It was crowded, but Will took his time in marveling over the old bridge. He ran his fingers along the stones and felt Hannibal squeeze his hand. This was nice, just Hannibal and him enjoying each other’s company, only having to worry about murders they commit themselves. Which actually hadn’t happened yet surprisingly.

“This is nice,” Will said, turning his attention to Hannibal.

Hannibal raised his brows and gave him a curious look. “Oh has it now?” he asked.

Will nodded. “It’s our first official date, I’m enjoying it immensely.”

“Well that’s a relief, I had thought my charms had abandoned me.”

Will snorted. “I’ve seen under your person suit, much of your charm is used to beguile others to divert them from your favored hobbies.”

Hannibal gave him a mocked hurt look. “Dear Will, how could you say such blasphemous things about me?”

Will laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry, it’s meant as a complement, it’s a wonderful talent in your line of work.”

Hannibal made a noncommittal noise but placed a kiss against Will’s temple. Will opened his mouth to mention how Hannibal hadn’t participated in his hobby recently when he felt someone collide with his shoulder. Normally he could have passed it off as an accident, but seeing as he was standing so close to the wall, it couldn’t be anything else but on purpose.

The man sneered at them. “Che schifo,” he muttered.

Hannibal pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. Hannibal let go of his hand and stalked over to the man. “Scusi, che cosa ha detto?” Hannibal asked, a polite smile plastered on his face.

The man looked shocked, but quickly schooled his features. “Niente, Signore.”

Hannibal nodded his head good-naturedly. “Se ne avete uno, posso avere il biglietto da visita?” The man looked hesitant but fished his wallet out of his pocket and handed his business card to Hannibal. “Grazie, buona giornata.” The man returned the salutation before he continued on his way.

Will gave Hannibal an inquiring look. “I suppose we now have a plan for the rest of our date,” Will said, grabbing onto Hannibal’s hand as soon as he was close enough.

Hannibal smirked. “If you are willing.”

He rolled his eyes. “If I’ve accepted this side of me, then I might as well revel in it with you.”

“Perfetto.”

* * *

 

The wonderful thing about Abigail is that she got along with the dogs, so she was more than willing to take care of them for the night. She said she was going to skype Marissa and talk about the college she’d applied to: the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute. She’d already expressed her excitement in not only learning a new language but having a new identity. Marissa would no doubt try to aim for studying abroad and then just show up at their house. But with the dogs taken care of, Hannibal took him hunting.

“Stefano Moretti, a regular office worker with a peculiar pension for verbal abuse,” Hannibal said as they walked along the alleyways.

“So he said something about us?” Will asked. “I guess there are some people who still don’t believe in all forms of love even with soulmates.”

Hannibal shook his head. “Some people just remain-“

“Rude?” Will asked, with a smile. “Believe me, Hannibal I’m well aware of your distaste for the rude. Far be it from me to hold you back.”

“Thank you.”

Will leaned against the wall behind him. “So, do you know when he’s going to show up?” Hannibal nodded his head as he gathered his materials. “And how do you know this?”

“Will, if there is one thing that’s good about this digital age it’s that a large percentage of people post on their social media multiple times a day.” Will gave Hannibal an imploring look and so Hannibal continued. “People also leave their location on when they post.”

“So you know he’s going to come around here because…?”

“It’s by the diner he mentioned he was going to and he has to pass this alleyway to get home.”

He rolled his eyes, he should have known. “That’s beyond disturbing, you realize that right?”

Hannibal hummed softly but didn’t say anything else. And so they waited. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long as they heard footsteps approaching the mouth of the alleyway. Hannibal’s muscles quickly tensed and before Will could even react, Hannibal had rushed out and grabbed the man. With a hand clapped tightly over Stefano’s mouth, Hannibal dragged him back in the alley. If Will were an animal, he would have been wooed by the display of raw power Hannibal was emitting, as it was he was impressed.

Stefano, still struggling, whimpered when Hannibal pressed a knife against his throat. “None of that, Signore,” Hannibal said, pressing the knife slightly into the man’s neck. Stefano halted his struggles and seemed to finally notice who he was being held captive by as his whimpers changed to choked sobs. “William, be a dear and tie his hands for me.”

Will quickly did as he was told and stepped back to observe. It was touching, to see Hannibal go to such lengths to try and retain the respect he believed they were entitled.

“Signore Moretti, you have insulted not only myself but my soulmate as well. Now tell me, why is that?” Hannibal asked, keeping his knife in place but taking his hand off Stefano’s mouth.

Hannibal must have known he wouldn’t have screamed for the man’s voice was soft and cracked when he spoke. “I-It is disgusting, the bible says s-so,” Stefano whispered, not meeting Hannibal’s eyes.

It was Will who picked up on the underlying meaning of what he was saying. “Your soulmate was male,” Will said, beginning a prowl around Stefano. “You rejected your soulmate because he was male, and every day you ache for him and yet you refuse to acknowledge the bond because of a few words in a book. And yet in that same book does it not say that you shouldn’t eat pork or shellfish as well as not charging interest on loans? If you believe in the first, you must believe in the others which means you’ve violated at least those two today.” Hannibal seemed happy to let Will continue his tirade, and he seemed to be enjoying Will’s verbal assault. “Normally, I would ignore this kind of behavior. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but my soulmate here doesn’t have the same views.” Will paused for a moment, a smirk working its way on his face. “After all, who am I to stop Il Mostro di Firenze?”

The man seemed to recognize Hannibal’s moniker as he began to struggle anew, harsh pants leaving his mouth as he was too afraid to scream for help. Hannibal gave the man a disdainful look before turning his attention to Will. “Did you have a vision for this one?” Hannibal asked, pressing the knife in a bit more when Stefano’s struggling became too disruptive for his taste.

Will shook his head. “I was trying to think of something art inspired, but I can’t think of any at the moment.”

“No matter, I have an idea for Signore Moretti here. If he cannot see love when it’s in front of him, then I believe he doesn’t need them,” Hannibal said, moving a hand to grasp at Stefano’s neck as he moved his knife toward the man’s eyes. “And his heart, that has to go of course, a broken heart is of no use is it, dear Will?” Will made an agreeing noise as he joined Hannibal to kneel over Stefano’s body. “Unfortunately, we should probably kill him first to prevent him from attracting other people with his noise.”

He chuckled softly. “So that’s why you brought that syringe of pancuronium bromide.”

Hannibal gave him an amused look. “What else would it have been for?”

Will shook his head and reached for the small bag that Hannibal had left a foot away from them. Quickly pulling out the syringe he listened to Hannibal’s clear instructions on what to do. In a matter of moments, Stefano’s struggling slowly came to a standstill and Will listened as the pitiful gasps became more and more desperate before they too leveled out to silence.

After that, he watched as Hannibal removed Stefano’s eyes, each glazed blue iris was then moved to the man’s hands. Then Hannibal handed the knife to Will before wrapping his own hand around Will’s. It was intimate, having Hannibal guiding him as he slowly cut out Stefano’s heart, the still warm blood spilling over their joined hands. It was Hannibal who removed the heart from Stefano’s body, the plastic of his suit preventing any evidence that could be left behind.

Will watched as Hannibal quickly stored the heart in a container before placing it in the bag full of ice that Hannibal had bought specifically for this purpose. It was… gross but Will knew he’d eat the dish anyway, Hannibal’s cooking was too good to refuse. Will turned his attention back to Stefano’s body and wondered if his soulmate would have cared if he knew Stefano was dead.

“William,” Hannibal said, pulling Will’s attention from the body, “come here a moment will you?”

Will dutifully stood up and walked over to Hannibal. “What’s up?” Will asked, scratching absent mindedly at some of the drying blood on his arm. He really needed to get one of Hannibal’s ridiculous plastic suits if he was going to keep doing this.

“We acknowledged our bond over a corpse,” Hannibal said, turning his body to face Will. “And it was in that moment that I found perfection. The other half of my soul had returned to me and that extraordinary mind of yours already knew me. I wonder if you and I could ever survive separation…”

“Probably not, I’ve already tethered myself to you, I doubt I could even begin to unravel my existence from yours if I tried.”

Hannibal made a pleased hum before grabbing one of Will’s hands from his position on the ground. “What would you say to forever, dear Will?” Hannibal asked, brushing his lips against the knuckles of Will’s hands.

“Forever is a dream, as futures change every second,” Will started, staring down at Hannibal. “But forever has a nice ring to it, why?” Hannibal smiled softly and moved from his seated position to kneel on one knee. Will felt his breath hitch as his eyes grew wide. “Hannibal?”

“My dearest William, it is unfortunate that I have done this all out of order, but circumstances happened and I wasn’t able to court you in the fashion that you so deserve. However, I believe that we are ready for this next step. We are already bound to each other by the simple pull that is a fellow beast to another. Would you do the honor of marrying me, Will?”

Will stood there blinking rapidly at Hannibal. He was having trouble processing the situation but felt a lightness in his chest. With a breathless laugh, Will nodded his head. “Of course I will, Hannibal,” Will whispered.

Hannibal’s soft smile spread into a full blown grin that looked slightly comical on his face. “You’ll have to excuse the lack of a ring at this time, I did not bring it with me, but I felt like it was the right time to ask you.”

Will returned the grin. “How long have you been planning on asking me?”

“Since the day our eyes met.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'll let you all decided what happens in the future :)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and if you have any prompts you want me to write send them to me at [cakelanguage](http://cakelanguage.tumblr.com/ask)
> 
> If you want to check out the restaurant Hannibal and Will went to it's [this one](http://pittigolaecantina.com/who-we-are)
> 
> Translations:  
> Che schifo: How disgusting  
> Scusi, che cosa ha detto?: Excuse me, what did you say?  
> Niente, Signore: Nothing, sir  
> Se ne avete uno, posso avere il biglietto da visita: If you have one, may I have your business card?  
> Grazie, buona giornata: Thank you, have a good day  
> Perfetto: Perfect


End file.
